How much does a filter operator make?

In the U.S., more experience and skill with harder machines or careful quality checks can lead to better pay. Pay also differs by industry and location, since beverage, dairy, chemical, and other employers operate in different places and pay differently.

Set up, operate, or tend continuous flow or vat-type equipment; filter presses; shaker screens; centrifuges; condenser tubes; precipitating, fermenting, or evaporating tanks; scrubbing towers; or batch stills. These machines extract, sort, or separate liquids, gases, or solids from other materials to recover a refined product. Includes dairy processing equipment operators. Excludes “Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders” (51-9011).

What's a typical day like?

They load materials, adjust valves and controls, and watch gauges for flow, temperature, and pressure. They test product samples, record results, and inspect or clean the machines.

Most U.S. filter operators finish high school or earn a GED, then learn on the job; registered apprenticeships are another route. No single starting age or exam is listed for this broad job group, so check each employer's rules.

High school plus some training (preparation level 2 of 5)

Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized.

Surprisingly, U.S. filter operators can include brewers, winemakers, and dairy-processing machine operators—not just people filtering water.